Charity Thanksgiving meals served in Pottstown area

Guests arrive for the PMMC annual Thanksgiving Day free meal. Low income and homeless attended and were given turkey with potatoes, cranberries, vegetables and dessert to enjoy. (Photo by John Strickler/The Mercury)

POTTSTOWN — Throughout the area, organizations held Thanksgiving-style meals for those in the community that might not otherwise be able to afford the traditional turkey and mashed potatoes most expect on their dinner tables for the holiday.

At Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, their cafeteria was full and buzzing for the annual meal held there around noontime.

“For me, it’s kind of an extension of what it means to ake care of people,” the Rev. Tom Crave, the hospital chaplain and one of the organizers said of the annual meal. “We can take care of their medical problems, but they have other issues as well, like whether they have food or not.”

According to Barbara Wilhelmy, of the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, which sponsored the event, 75 tickets to the Thanksgiving meal were given out.

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She said the hospital sponsors the event every year and gives the Cluster a break from the mealtimes they hold every day.

“It’s nice to have them take care of this and take a break from (working the meals),” she said, smiling.

“Volunteers from the cluster can have the day off since we’re already making the meal here,” Craver said.

So many people turn out to volunteer for the hospital’s meal that Craver said he actually has to turn down some of those that volunteered.

“We never have a problem getting volunteers,” Craver said.

Sydney was handing out plasticware since her relative regularly works in the cafeteria at the hospital and also volunteers.

“We come in every year,” she said.

Karen Wolff, who was handing out apple and pumpkin pie with her grandson, Michael Piper, said she also shows up every year to help.

“To help people, this is something my grandson and I like to do,” she said.

“Why not give them food today when they need it?” Piper said.

Those in line to get the cranberries, turkey, mashed potatoes and vegetables were in a good spirit, wishing a “Happy Thanksgiving” as they patted each other on the back.

Two little girls, holding trays they were almost as tall as them, explained, then re-explained, then re-re-explained how many sets of plasticware and napkins they’d need as their mother called over and tried to set them straight.

Eventually, the older one, about 4-years-old, came away with three sets of forks, knives, spoons and napkins.

In Spring City, a similar meal went on at the Spring City United Methodist Church.

Meda Maron, the program director at Project Outreach, a local charity, helped organize the sixth annual event and said there were 94 reservations made for the meal at the church and 16 meals were sent out to those that couldn’t make it out of their homes.

“It’s really nice,” she said. “A lot of the people (that are served) are people that live by themselves. It’s nice because they know each other, they already have their own community and I think it’s because (Spring City UMC) serves a hot meal every Wednesday.”

Like Craver, Maron said she had to turn down some of those that offered to volunteer.

“Oh my goodness, we have as many volunteers as people coming in, almost,” she said.

She said she had a team of cooks ready for the turkey and heating all the side dishes, which Wegmans donated.

“It just feels nice to be able to help people,” Maron said. “I know what I get out of it: I’m just so thankful that I’m able to help. Thanksgiving is a very difficult time for some people who don’t have families that they can connect with. It takes away from the loneliness and helps (when there are meals like this).”

Maron said even some of those that made reservations for the meal wanted to help providing a dollar.

“They don’t have much so they (gave what they could so they) can help out,” Maron said.